Sports Writer

AUSTRALIA will be without Michael Clarke as they aim to complete a series whitewash over the West Indies after the captain suffered a recurring hamstring injury in the hosts' five-wicket victory on Friday.

Clarke, who did not front the post-match press conference, was assessed by team medical staff following the game after being in visible discomfort during his innings.

"Clarke asked to have his right hamstring assessed by team medical staff," a Cricket Australia spokesman said on Friday night.

Australia vs West Indies - Game 4

Game four of the Commonwealth Bank One Day International Series between Australia and the West Indies at Sydney Cricket Ground. Photo: AFP

Clarke, who was able to complete his innings, injured his right hamstring during the Test series against Sri Lanka earlier this summer and missed the start of the ensuing ODI series to overcome the injury.

Advertisement

The latest recurrence is believed to be only mild and with Australia leading 4-0 in the best-of-five series they are almost certain not to risk their star batsman in a dead rubber.

Shane Watson will captain Australia in Melbourne should Clarke, who is due to fly out with the rest of the Test squad on Monday, be ruled out.

Australia's Test squad continue their exodus to India on Saturday but it's the men left behind who could be gaining the most valuable insight into the challenges that lie ahead on the subcontinent.

As comfortably as Australia won, there was enough from the game to encourage India's spinners before the upcoming series.

Of most interest will be Phillip Hughes's unconvincing batting against the mysterious off-spin of Sunil Narine

The much-improved left-hander struggled facing Narine, against whom he could manage only 12 off 29 balls before falling to an ungainly paddle sweep which finished in the hands of first slip rather than at fine leg.

Hughes has seldom faced a tweaker with as many exotic variations as Narine and is unlikely to either on the subcontinent.

India's leading spinners, Ravi Ashwin and Pragyan Ojha, are not as unconventional but make up for that with their consistency. They will also have the assistance of pitches offering more bite and turn than that unveiled at the SCG.

Narine, who was given two to three men around the bat for most of his 10 overs, still provided valuable match practice for Test batsmen Shane Watson and Michael Clarke.

Watson, with a crisp 76 to follow his century on Wednesday, passed the test creditably while Clarke survived eight balls though did get himself into a bind after mis-reading a doosra from Narine.

As impressive as Watson has been opening in his two games back, he will face a completely different set of circumstances in India batting at No.4 on spin-friendly wickets.

Unfortunately for the West Indies they did not have another bowler who could pose as consistent a threat to Australia as Narine, who claimed 2-34 from his 10 overs.

That Australia did not have to force the issue against Narine was testament to another strong performance by a left-arm paceman.

This time it came from Mitchell Johnson and not Mitchell Starc, whose ODI campaign is over after being withdrawn to prepare for the four-Test series against India.